re-Borner
by PseudoSim
Summary: Survive, Adapt, Learn, Thrive. All are all key tenants of living, and more so than when they become a part of your daily life.
're-Borner

[Worm / Nasu-Verse]

Pilot 01: I am Yunyun, hear me roar!

|-\\-/-|

It was like the ancient Chinese proverb said: 'While everything changes, everything stays the same.' Whoever said that must have been really smart.

"Fresh Hot Dumplings! Get your fresh hot Dumplings here!"

Because no matter what, no matter where she went, things had somehow always stayed the same. Mostly.

"Delicious, juicy, freshly made dumplings!"

With each descriptor she swayed, not only moving her sign back and forth but also making the juicy - and now somewhat cooled - dumplings that she'd shoved down her front swing back and forth.

Not that she really minded that all that much. Things not changing meant she was comfortable and she knew just how to fit in wherever she ended up… even in such a weird place like this. It wasn't so bad though, kinda like Shanghai really.

She faltered mid-sway. Well, maybe a little _too_ like Shanghai while at the same time being a little worse. At least there there had only been a _few_ drifting around that could be considered to have super-powers or be beyond human. But here...

Stopping her swaying, Yunyun lowered her sign and sighed as she looked around the beach side boardwalk that she'd chosen to set up her dumpling cart today. There were people around, sure, and people slowed to look at what she had. Some even looked _twice_ , but few looked a third time and even less stopped to get something. She was familiar with the type, they were just 'the crowd,' people too busy or too preoccupied to stop at one little dumpling cart.

She'd been working her way up and down the coast, staying a little while in each city along the way and enjoying the sights while saving up enough from her dumpling sales to move on. But the atmosphere of this place, maybe… maybe it was just time to head out and move on. A little earlier than planned, but his city, with as dangerous as it was and felt? The margins just weren't worth it and even part timing work to supplement the income from her cart was in short supply.

Tapping her sign against her ankle she slumped a little, "I guess no one wants any of Yunyun's Silk Road Dumplings today."

And here she'd thought that this would have been the perfect spot to set up today. The downtown business area was stuffy, full of people even busier than those around her, but this place had been airy and fun and let her hang out by the water. She's miscalculated though and now it was past twelve and she'd only reached half her quota. Such misfortune...

So deep in her skulking she didn't notice one of the couples separated from the crowd and approach without her realizing it.

"Excuse me, we'll take two pork baozi."

Customers! Immediately perking up she turned to face the source of the feminine voice to see a smiling blonde girl and a broad shouldered black man. Hm, she looked a little young for him, but who was she to judge these Americans.

The girls' lips twitched up again and gestured to the menu and dumpling display case Yunyun had hanging from her carts overhang. "And can we get some honey sauce?"

"Yes yes! Right away miss!" She nodded vigorously, but maybe a little too vigorously as the man leaned back- though the girl only seemed amused.

Sashaying around to the other side of her cart Yunyun bustled about to prepare the pairs order. Humming as she opened drawers and doors, she put together the order in little over a minute; pulling out the pork dumpling from the carts hot box, wrapping them in foil, ladling out several containers of honey sauce, and bagging everything up.

By now, the process of putting together an order had almost become rote since digging the bike towable cart out of a dump she'd been part timing at in upstate New York. It had been in pretty bad shape, but fixing it up was nothing to the great Yunyun! She who had trekked the land! She who had crossed the seas! She who had worked eight part time jobs at once! She who had survived not quite but almost being blown up! She, Yunyun, who fished the yellow river!

Finishing her him with a sharp - Hm hm Hmm - she set down the couples bagged order and smiled.

"That will be eight eighty please!"

Nodding, the blonde girl pulled out a slim wallet- then the girl stopped and Yunyun felt the hairs on her neck stand on end as the still smirking girl cocked her head and looked at her. She just started, looking her up and down until the black man nudged her.

"...Lisa?"

The girl blinked once, twice, and a third time before snapping out of whatever that had been. Though she did stare a moment longer before her smirk softened into a smile and she flipped open her wallet; shaking her head as she thumbed through the green bills inside.

Flipping one out, the blond girl folded it with a twist of her fingers and dropped it into Yunyun's tip jar that she'd lashed to one of her carts support poles.

"Keep the change," she said, and grabbing her order she and the man started back down the boardwalk.

Huffing, Yunyun reached over and pulled the bill out of the jar and opening her cash drawer she unfolded the bill… her eyes widened as she saw the one and two zeroes. This was!

Snapping up she looked after the couple. "Ah! Miss! This is too much!"

"Keep it," the girl called back before looking over her shoulder and smirking. "And nice _dumplings_."

Yunyun blinked and smiled before carefully burying the hundred dollar bill beneath a pile of dollar coins and change.

Yunyun blinked and smiled and carefully slid the hundred dollar bill beneath a pile of dollar coins and change. Such a nice girl. But what a strange comment though, she _knew_ her dumplings were nice - Yunyun was the one that made them after all - and the girl hadn't even opened the bag so what could she have… a warm flush rose up her neck and face as she became all too conscious of the cooled dumplings under her top.

Her head snapping around to check if anyone was looking, well anyone looking at _her,_ and she ducked down behind her cart to discreetly remove the two dumplings from her top. Quickly descending into a wallowing pit of self pity, Yunyun tossed one dumpling into the hot box while she started nibbling on the crust of the other.

Cold, but she long learned not to mind it.

Sighing, Yunyun leaned forward to press her head against the hot box, the light warmth radiating off its battered metal surface soothing against her skin and helped to shift her thoughts to things less embarrassing. Though welcome was another matter.

That girl. A shiver went up her back and her toes tingled. How that girl have been staring at her, just weird. And giving her such a large bill? Grimacing, Yunyun tore a chunk out of her dumpling and spun around so she was facing the bay and her back was against the hot box.

That kind of look and the money. That girl had pitied her. If she could have, she would have made change for it and forced the money back down her throat… but she wouldn't really have done that though, even if she wanted to.

Wrapping one arm around her knees Yunyun started nibbling at her dumpling again and tilted her head back to look up at the sky. Clear, and a deep blue that was marred only by a single white cloud being carried lazily along by winds miles above.

Maybe… maybe it would have been better if she'd just stayed at the restaurant?

Swallowing, Yunyun's eyes caught a line of white slowly cutting across the blue. A plane, heading to Boston probably, the next city along her route and then it would be back to New York, again.

That would have been a _bad_ idea though. Yunyun didn't quite know what the people here did about the others that had shown up at the restaurant, but even if the news had said everyone was safe and given assistance, she doubted she would have been as lucky. No. No way they would have missed the Ua, and even if they had her medication shortage would have brought it up eventually. Fortunately, that stoner had been able to help her on that front, even if it had cost an exorbitant amount.

Slowly, her arm tightened around her legs and she drew them in closer, childhood memories of men in thick suits and labs coming up before she could quash them down again. Those had been coming up all too frequently lately, just lurking and waiting for some reminder to bring them up again. The people here though, they were different, they didn't make it, but all the same she couldn't trust them with something like that.

And besides, staying in the same general vicinity as the people with the big weapons, knives, glowy things, and glowy weapons around would have been one of her dumber ideas. So she'd run, just like she'd always done. And even now that the news had said the old head chef had been able to open a new restaurant she couldn't go back to it.

"And it was such a good job too," she mumbled mournfully…

Hey, space cadet, orders up for table four!"

"Yesh shir!" Yunyun answered, responding to the call through a mouthful of dumpling while ignoring her only somewhat deserved nickname. But setting aside her lukewarm pork dumpling she stood and brushed her emerald cheongsam free of any wrinkles or crumbs. The Red Lion was an ' _upstanding_ ' establishment after all, only the most _'discerning'_ and ' _upstanding_ ' of sharks disguised as people ate there and ' _appearing disheveled_ ' wouldn't do at all. Not if she wanted to keep her job.

She checked herself over once more before slipping out of the small break room that tripled as a closet and emergency exit and into the controlled chaos of the kitchens. The Manager may have been uptight, but the chefs were the ones with the real power in the restaurant and 'appearing disheveled' was pretty far from their concern. This was her only dress though, and stupid as it was it was better to just follow his instructions.

"Space Cadet!"

"Here Sir!"

Sidestepping another waitress in a blue cheongsam carrying a tray of dirty dishes Yunyun bared her teeth and snarled at the other woman as she withdrew her foot and took the dishes to one of the cleaning stations farther into the kitchen. Stuck up bitch.

Growing and barring her teeth at the other woman who'd decided Yunyun to be her nemesis from day one she jumped as the head chef yelled again from the end of the center counter. Stepping up to him she just smiled when the large man glared at her over his shoulder before turning back to the tray and grumbled, as he poked, prodded, and put some fancy garnishing on a cooked fish to get it _just right_. He was picky about some things.

Finishing, the old man handed her an order slip and pointed to the doors, "Table nine.

She put on a chipper smile, "Yes sir!"

Now lacking the lunch crowd, the numerous tables of the restaurant were largely empty with just a few tables here and there occupied with relaxed men and women in suits who looked like they weren't in any hurry to go anywhere. But that was the usual , and a few of the people at the tables were the regulars that had long lunch breaks and hung out, though the people at table nine were new to the restaurant - at least in the time she'd been there.

Yunyun eyed them with her particularly discerning eye as she wove between and through the throng of tables to the middle of the room where a black haired man in a weird suit; A red haired woman with glasses in a normal suit; and a little blond boy quietly sitting beside the woman in a blue jacket; sat.

Now at first glance one might have thought they were together, but not to Yunyun. To Yunyun it was pretty clear they were no family. How they were sitting, across from each other with the table clearly separating them with man just barely _not_ snarling at the woman as she stared back at him with unconcealed indifference, like the man was nothing to her. Yunyun had seen that kind of expression enough from Liang Qi to-

But that wasn't important, what was was that they were wearing nice clothes! And nice clothes meant big tips! Or not, something she'd found pretty quickly after leaving Shanghai for good was that about half the time, rich people were stiffs and that was pretty much consistent on every continent. Though when they _did_ tip, it was good.

Sidling in alongside the table Yunyun quickly and quietly set everything out while keeping an eye on the customers to see who she needed to shmooze a little if need be. But no luck, the two barely stopped their staring contest and only broke things off when the little boy ooed as he snagged the cooked fish with the woman looking quite pleased with the spread of food and promptly began gathering a heaping plate. The man on the other hand… if anything he looked disgusted with the food.

Yep, definitely better to concentrate on the woman. Especially if the noises of enjoyment the boy was making as he plowed through a selection… For a moment Yunyun couldn't help but watch him until after standing there for over a moment the woman glanced over at her over her glasses, and catching the woman's eye her heart leapt into her throat as her self preservation alarms went off.

!DANGER!DANGER!DANGER!

Bowing out and away from the table more calmly than Yunyun would have thought herself possible, she bustled back to the kitchens and promptly traded the serving tray for her dumpling. Now having something she could bite on, she slid down the kitchen wall to squat on the floor as she tried to coax her heart out of her throat.

"She got you to 'ey?"

Glancing up as she gnawed on the edge of her dumpling, she saw the old head chef looking down at her, his Chinese-American features turned down in a grimace as he dried his hands. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she looked up at him.

He tilted his head in the direction of the main room. "The lady there at nine. She scared off Ming when she went out to take the order, girl was practically shaking." Stopping, he looked at her and cocked his head. "You're handling it better than her though, so that's something. Will you be able to stay on for the rest of your shift?"

Biting into her dumpling and taking a few second to chew through a mouthful of dough, vegetables, and meat; Yunyun got herself under control and nodded. She'd hadn't chickened out in worse times and she wouldn't now! She was the great Yunyun! She ran from no woman!

It was just a god thing that she also just happened to have a highly selective memory, something that came in handy pretty often for her.

"Good, you wait on table nine and-"

Yunyun had been nodding along with him, but whatever he'd been about to say got cut off by shouts coming from the main room that was quickly followed up by what sounded an awful lot like chairs breaking. Turning about at the commotion, the old man ducked out of the break area and against her better judgement Yunyun scrambled after to find him standing in the doorway to the main room with a dented baseball held in hand. And in the main room… in the main room…

Something in her brain started skipping as she tried to process what she was seeing. The men and women in dark suits and robes standing around the main room with half the tables and chairs smashed to ity bitty bits around them? OK. The fact that half of them - the robed ones infact - were carrying handfuls of long knives while the others in the suits had everything from swords to big guns to weird glowy things that were pointed at what had been table nine? Scary and would have driven her screaming from the building.

But that still hadn't quite been what caused her brain to skip tracks.

No, the thing that was causing an error was the great big mass of golden fur and muscle and teeth that was hovering protectively over the red haired woman. Yunyun might have said it was a dog, albeit a giant golden dog that could eat her as a snack. Except that even ignoring how its ears were poking the ceiling the fore legs had biceps, _big_ biceps, biceps as big around as she was… and dogs didn't have biceps.

Looking around that the suited and robbed people and shaking her head, the red headed woman looked to the ceiling she and slowly ran her hand through her hair. "Forgive me, , but correct me if I'm wrong," the woman at table nine asked aloud in slightly accented english that Yunyun recognised as British from her time in the island country. "But did you or did you not tell me Burial Agency wasn't aware of your whereabouts."

Placing a hand on her hip the woman looked down and to the left, and following her gaze she saw the angry-man holding a silver briefcase to his chest like it was a life preserver. He frantically shook his head before hugging the suitcase even tighter.

Bowing her head she sighed, but just as quickly quickly snapped her head back up when one of the suited man stepped forward with his hands in the air.

"Aozaki, we have no orders concerning you, we are only here for the Philosopher. So long as you don't interfere with our operation you may leave unaccosted."

"You'll _let me_ , leave?" The woman - Aozaki - asked, something in her voice prickling at Yunyun's instincts. "For an Enforcer you seem awfully sure-"

"I'll pay you triple for the commission!" The man shouted and clutched the briefcase even closer as he looked out at the people in the suits and robes.

"Don't bother, Lugh, do be a dear and grab my jacket." She flashed a grin at the angry-man, "You brought the Enforcers here _\- to me -_ through your own incompetence and right now you just really don't have anything else to offer me than money, and that's not enough. So think I'll be leaving."

"You fucking bitch. You're just selling me out after how much I've already paid you!"

She just smiled and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the suit jacket the giant golden dog had _handed her_ , "Yep. And get over it, this is your fuckup so don't try and blame me you couldn't bribe enough people to get accurate information." Tapping out a cigarette Yunyun watched as she lit it without a lighter and took a pull, "Grow the bloody hell up."

"So I guess the rumors about the nobility of your clan are true then," the man spat on the floor. "No honor, no loyalty- You really deserve to be called the Disgraced Scarlet, don't you?"

That was when Yunyun got the same feeling she'd had when the woman had caught her eye. Only this time it was magnified into something with a near physical presence and even some of the people in suits stepped away from her.

Head tilting to the side, the woman let out a short, barking laugh and plucked the cigarette out of her mouth as she reached up and to take her glasses off. "Wow. You really are a special one aren't you. If this is how you handle yourself in a situation like this then I really have to wonder how you stole that little trinket from the churches archives."

It was only when when her eyes slowly opened to show they were glowing a brilliant blue did Yunyun's brain get back on track and slowly put one foot behind her as she got ready to turn and find something to hide behind. She'd _seen_ glowing eyes before. From Canaan, for one, and whenever she saw glowing eyes from her things had started blowing up or getting shot. Sure there hadn't been any giant golden dogs with giant biceps or people with glowing thingies, but seeing glowing eyes - as a rule of thumb - meant finding cover.

The woman turned her glowing gaze on the angry man who shook violently before arching back and letting out a long, shrill scream.

Unfortunately for Yunyun, she hadn't run yet and it was only when everything began glowing different colors that her self preservation instincts actually got to work overriding her curiosity. The walls shimmered like a desert mirage and glowed blue, the floors flowed like water and ran red, the ceiling broke and splintered and turned green while everything else turned to gray scale as the briefcase the angry man was still holding onto like it was a life preserver started leaking rainbow light from along its seams.

She scrambled, turning and taking cover behind the kitchens center counter even as a new flickering light illuminated the kitchen through the door. Light blue and pure white followed almost immediately by a thunderous crackling akin to lightning filled blasted her ears. She hadn't been fast enough. The floor buckled, the other chefs were thrown off their feet and and things in the kitchen went airborne as a new roaring filled the air that shook everything from the air to her bones and her extra appendix.

Yunyun wasn't conscious of how long the roaring went on, but between turning away from the doors and… whatever that had been, starting, she found herself curled up on the floor with what _felt_ like her dumpling squished out between her side and the around her pans clinked and clanked as they wobbled on the floor and groans from the other chefs slowly registered to her hearing. And all the while she heard shouts and things crashing around in the main room.

Then she was pretty sure the giant golden dog started growling, because a low, guttural grinding rose above the commotion. And that was enough for her.

Nope nope nope. Nope. Glowing people, glowing weapons, lots of regular weapons, giant golden dog with biceps and hands that sounded like a meaty woodchipper, scary lady with glowing blue eyes- something in the back of Yunyuns brain just flipped _on_ while the rest of it took a back seat as she made like a rabbit and _ran._

She scrambled, just barely getting to her feet and stumbling over things in order to get to the 'break room' so she could grab her trusty rucksack before practically throwing herself through emergency exit and into the alleyway. She ran and ran and ran and ran. Through the rubble filled and trash strewn alleyway behind the restaurant, down the backstreet behind the building, and through side streets until it all just became little more than a blur and she found herself gasping like a fish in front of an empty lot, right where her little apartment should have been…

"Hey lady! You gonna take my order or what?"

Blinking, Yunyun looked out at the blue water and the waves coming into the bay for a moment before shaking her head and popping to her feet; a smile on her face as she turned to one of the maroon shirted toughs that had given her some trouble only a few hours ago.

"Yes sir, I'm so very sorry sir. What would you like to order?"

Up, down. Up, down. Up, down.

Through the darkened streets Yunyun pedaled along. Moving at a relatively good speed despite towing the cart behind her, her feet propelling the bike forward as she rode back to where she'd been squatting since arriving in the city. Good thing for her there were a lot of places available, sleeping outside in her cart or the tent would have been fun.

Although, the downsides of there being so many buildings to squat in was that it not only represented the city's economy but also that there were _other_ people that had had the same idea as her. As such, Yunyun was forced to keep an eye out when heading home so she didn't get jumped and mugged and left bleeding out on the street with no one to mourn her.

But of course, because she was keeping an eye out for people, she didn't notice the little kid running out in front of her until she was bouncing off her front wheel. With Yunyun unwillingly following along as she was thrown from her seat.

"Ooowwww." It had been a while, but once again Yunyun was reminded why proper bicycle safety was important. But at least there weren't any cars involved this time. So there was that.

Pushing herself up, Yunyun absently rubbed at the bare skin on her side where she'd skidded a little. No road rash, fortunately, just what was likely to be a big bruise. Sighing, she glanced around and found the cause of her little accident a little ways away. Bundled up in a ratty sweatshirt a few sizes too big and curled in on themselves, moaning like someone who'd just gotten hit by a bike.

Great.

Stumbling over to the kid Yunyun crouched down and gently shook their shoulder. "Hey? You ok kid?"

Nothing but a groan and the little form curled in on itself.

Conscious of just where she was and weary of being caught out in the open Yunyun shook again, this time more roughly as her patience started wearing thin. Aside from another groan and some mumbling though, no response. So she tied again, with even more force and for someone supposedly hurt the little kid reacted pretty quick as a hand smacked her hand away.

Slowly, the hood turned toward her and fell away to reveal a head of matted orange hair and a young girl's freckled face framed by a dirty red scarf. Blue eyes glowered out at me from behind her hair. "You _hit me_ ," she bit out accusingly. Her voice was steady, not a _hint_ of pain, and definitely young, but along with being high pitched it was scathing enough to kill a bull.

Yunyun was stronger than a bull though and just glowered back at the girl. This _little shit_ … "You ran out in front of me, _stupid_."

She twitched and growled, "And _you_ weren't paying attention, _flatty._ "

Gasping, Yunyun put her hand to her mouth in shock even as her eyes narrowed at the brat. Clearly she should have been riding faster so she hit the kid harder, maybe then the hit would have knocked some _respect_ into- Snapping her head around Yunyun looked toward an alleyway a short ways away as a high pitched scream rang out before it was cut short by a single gunshot.

Uh oh. Hearing a motion beside her, Yunyun watched the little brat had sat up. Holding a small black bag to her chest with one arm, she propped herself up with the other and looked toward the shouting with an expression that could be little else than absolute _terror_. Her skin gained a pallor and her her pupils grew to nearly displacing the blue. Forcing herself up, Yunyun watched the girl as she limped a short ways away before her right leg gave out beneath her.

She didn't make a sound, instead looking back to the alley as they heard indistinct shouting before she got up and got a little further away before falling again. Still not a peep from her.

Another gunshot rang out from the alley and Yunyun swallowed.

Well... shit. That probably meant nothing good.

"Hey," the kid hissed and Yunyun glanced over at her to see her head twitching back and forth between her and the alley. "If you help me out, I'll make it worth your while."

Double shit, this brat probably- no, _definitely_ had something to do with what was going on over there. Opening her mouth to tell the kid to hit the bricks an incessantly nagging voice in her ear made her stop. Grinding teeth together Yunyun looked between the girl, the alley, and the cart. Stupid Maria.

Hurrying over to her, Yunyun grabbed up little miss pain in the ass and; and hauling her over to the side of the cart she started frantically unlatching the catches on the side panel that would have popped out into an overhang. "You better make this worth it or I'll put you in my dumplings." Properly threatened, Yunyun picked the kid up before she could retort and not too gently tossed her into the cart and re-secured the panel before scrambling onto the bike seat and started putting her weight into the pedals.

She didn't make it more than a few meters before heavy footsteps pounded up behind her and a man shouted for her to stop that was way too close to close for comfort.

Triple shit.

Rolling to a stop, she leaned out and put on a tissue thin smile as a trio of grubby men in even worse clothes than the girl had came running up. "So very sorry customer, no more dumpling left."

Panting, one of the men - skinny like a rail and wiry with a pock marked face and greasy hair - looked at her, then the cart, and shook his head. "A girl, little ginger brat, did you see one?"

"Ah- ah-" Glancing around Yunyun tried to tell the Maria voice to go to hell except it just came back louder and louder until she pointed at random to an alleyway with a wrought iron gate hanging open. "Yes! Yes! Little girl with hood, stupid girl almost run into me! She go in there!"

She was laying the accent on a bit thick but it seemed to work as Yunyun watched the man glance at her once before taking off running. The other two didn't follow him though, and for a moment Yunyun started pedaling while hoping that the other two would just let her leave. No such luck, one of the other men walked out in front of her before she could pick up any speed and grabbed her handlebars.

"Woah there, where you goin'. You sell food right, well me and Bill here are _hungry_ ," The disheveled man licked his lips as he looked at her and Yunyun swallowed, she didn't think he wanted dumplings.

Smiling weakly she shook her head, "So very sorry, no more dumplings, all out."

"Then how about you just give us whatever you made and we'll let you go," a raspy voice said from her side, and looking to it she saw the third man look past her. "We don't have time for this Jack. Dip your wick some other time."

Growling and slapping her handlebars, 'Jack' stalked around to stand next to the man. "Fine, well chinky, where's the money."

Almost against her control Yunyun glanced to the cart, and when 'Bill' grunted and gestured at the overhang panel the other man grinned and stepped over to start popping the latches.

Her heart was pounding in her throat now. If they found the brat she was in trouble _._ Stupid Maria conscious. Before she could tell them her earnings were really in one of the locked drawers however, the panel popped open; catching Jack in the chin as it was pushed open from inside and as it banged into its overhand position a dirty red shoe stuck out to kick the man in the throat.

 _SHE'S TRYING TO GET ME KILLED!_

Bill shouted as Jack fell back holding his throat and was already moving to grab the brat as I hopped off the bike seat and reached under the cart to feel along the bottom. As I was searching, though Bill had gotten ahold of the brat and ignoring her kicking he pulled her out of the cart by her sweatshirt. Lucky for her, she escaped him by slipping out of the sweatshirt, but unluckily a shoe connecting with her chest put her on the ground just as her hand wrapped around a piece of wood.

Throwing the rattry sweatshirt aside, the man advanced on the fallen girl as she curled into a ball. Her little body twitching and shaking as she hacked and sucked in air.

Oh no you don't! Yunyun stood, wound up, and swung her chair leg-club at the side of 'Bill's' head. She grinned as the blow connected and he dropped like a rock. Yes! Yunyun may be slight, but she is mighty!

"Fuckin'... bitches."

Seeing motion from her side as Jack sat up and pulled a thin knife. Riding her victory high into the heavens Yunyun and reared her foot back, aimed, and planted it right in the fork of the man's legs as hard as she could.

The man… gurgled, for lack of a more accurate term, and as the knife clattered on the ground his hands grabbed for his crotch and a low whine leaked out of his throat.

Ignoring him, Yunyun stepped over to the girl and despite her weak protests and moans of pain she pulled her to her feet. Yunyun didn't have time for pain, they had to get going before the other guy came back to find his friends laid out if she wanted to get paid- a scuffing on the pavement a little ways behind her- _Footsteps!_

"Shoulda' just told me what I wanted lady."

Letting go of the girl and spinning around at the voice, Yunyun raised her club and was deafened by a loud _bang_ when the skinny man hurriedly pointed his arm at her and a dull, burning line grazed across her side. Instinctively clutching at her side, she looked down at her hand and her victory high came crashing down as she took her hand away and saw blood.

She… she'd been shot? Her club slipped from her fingers to clatter against the pavement.

Looking up she saw the man scowl, raise a small revolver, and with another near deafening _bang_ a hot knife punched through her shoulder.

Dazed, and stumbling as stars danced in her eyes from the muzzle flash, she was unprepared for the sharp blow to her head that put her her on the ground. Propping herself up on her elbow Yunyun blinked once, twice, three time before the street came into focus. It was only for a moment as crunching footsteps came up to her and a foot kicked her elbow to put her back on the ground with something hard and sharp digging into her lower back.

Skinny's pockmarked face appeared over her as he bent over and stuffed a dingy little revolver in her face. "Stupid slant," the thug hissed. "You just had to make things complicated." Looking past her he shook his head, "What'd she say? That we were after her?" He cocked his head and grinned, "Well did she tell you she and her little friends- heh, well former friends, now. Did she tell you that they stole our money?" He waggled the pistol and shrugged. "Sucks for you I guess. Be thankful though, I'm nice so I'll spare you from Jack. This way it will be quick."

His finger pulled back on the trigger and as it if would do anything to help her survive getting shot in the face Yunyun flinched back- as the gun clicked.

Going cross eyed she stared at the gun with her eyes locked on the holes in the cylinder. Silently, Yunyun thanked whatever gods there were - from the Buddha to the blood god - as the revolver clicked once more and again the hammer struck impotently on spent bullets. Cursing, the man stood back and dug into his pants pocket to pull out more bullets.

Seeing her chance, Yunyun rolled to her side and pulled out the object digging into the small of her back. This time it was Skinnys turn to freeze up as he looked down the double barrels of her little derringer. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but she wasn't the novice that had need her targets help just to turn the safety off anymore.

Thumbing back the safety lever Yunyun pulled back on the trigger once, and then again once she adjusted her aim. Still staring at her with his mouth open, the man stood there for a moment before simply falling against her cart and sliding onto the street. Limp. Lifeless. _Dead_.

For a long moment Yunyun stayed as she was, arm raised and pointed where the man had been before she went limp as her pulse slowly came down. She just lay there a bit, consciously trying not to think of anything and just stared up at the night sky, appreciating the simple fact that she was _alive_. Not really counting the restaurant... it had been a long time since she'd been reminded of her own mortality so thoroughly- that _her_ life had almost been taken out of _her_ hands.

She was careful, really careful, not even wandering through asia after leaving Japan had she had many close calls. Stupid things, accidents, yeah. But nothing quite like this except for the one time in the middle east and twice more in europe. It was… it was something that put things in perspective. Each and every time it had reminded her that what she had now was it- a groan, off to her side reminded her of Jack... and the little girl.

Forcing herself to stand and ignore the pain, Yunyun looked to Jack and saw him still holding his crotch though was looking at her with far more awareness than she was comfortable with. Especially with what he'd implied and what the other two had said about him.

Leering at her, his eyes flicked to her derringer and just as a slow grin spread over yellowed teeth he lunged for where the other man had dropped his gun. Yunyun stepped forward and kicked him once more in the crotch before changing her angle and kicking him in the head for extra effect before stumbling over to the kid who was just staring at skinny's corpse and slowly - minding the pain in her side - knelt down beside her.

"Are you-"

For a moment Yunyun's heart jumped into her throat as she saw the blood splatter on the girl's face- _her_ blood splatter that carried the virus in it. The initial gut reaction was short lived though as she remembered the conditions required for transmission, however, her heart sunk as the girl turned to her and she saw her eyes. Blank, seeing but not seeing. Shock.

Brat as she may have been, and a thief apparently… but she was still a little girl.

Slipping her arm around her narrow shoulders Yunyun guided her to the cart, and ignoring the pain from the tunnel in her shoulder the best she could, she lifted her up to sit in the cart. It was fairly easy, too easy really, a girl her size should have weighed more than she did. Looking her over as she got out some sanitary wipes Yunyun saw the thin arms and empty shirt that had been hidden beneath the grubby and oversized sweatshirt.

She was practically skin and bones.

Yunyun tried to put it out of her mind for the moment as she wiped at the little girl's face. Cleaning away her blood and wiping away dirt that had disguised the shallowness of her cheeks and exposing even more freckles in the process.

"You got shot," the girl suddenly mumbled.

She just shook her head and smiled gently as the girls eyes came into focus and locked on her. "Twice," Yunyun corrected. "But it's ok, I'm tough, I'll be fine in no time."

The girl didn't seem fully reassured and frowned incredulously but nodded anyway and sat quietly until Yunyun finished up.

"I'm sorry."

Nodding, Yunyun gathered all the used wipes up and put them in an order bag before setting it aside. "I get it," Yunyun said quietly as she caught the girl's eye, "and I've been there. You were desperate, did something stupid that got an outsider involved, and here we are."

She just looked away and Yunyun took the next few moments to step away and gather everything up. Her club, the girls ratty sweatshirt, the thugs wallets and valuables- it all went into the cart, and by the time she was done the kid had seemingly snapped out of it and she'd made her decision.

"I'm heading for Boston, tonight. First I'm going to go get my stuff then I'm out of here." Yunyun met the kids eyes. "Do you want to come with me?"

Licking her lips, the girl looked down for a long moment then snapped her head up to look in the direction of the alley that the gunshots had come from before the thugs had shown up. She looked down again, closed her eyes, swallowed, then meeting Yunyun's gaze, she nodded once.

"Good," She held her hand out to the girl, "Yunyun."

The girl stared at her hand for a moment before nodding and taking it, "Julie."

With introductions done they set off. Julie tucked away in the cart, resting as she pedaled, and by the time she reached the condemned single story house she had been squatting in the girl was asleep.

Hampered somewhat by the gunshots - something she took a few minutes to address - it took her longer than usual to pack up. But, after an hour or so Yunyun had her things packed up and lashed to the cart with the kid unconsciously hugged her sleeping bag as she slept.

From there it was just a long stretch of riding along the side of the interstate… In the dark, with big trees on both sides with nothing and nobody around for miles with only her reflective windbreaker and bike lights to keep her from getting hit. No sweat.

All said though, the route she'd been following up and down the coast since arriving wasn't too bad. Here, she could get between most major cities in around six hours with eight at the most since most of it was flat road. A lot better travel times than what she'd had making her way around europe and asia. Better weather, road, and riding conditions as well, so far.

It was about four hours into the ride that she finally took a break. Slipping off the bike seat that was close to imprinting itself on her ass Yunyun took a few minutes to stretch, grab something to eat, relieve herself, and generally take a bit of a break before continuing the next leg of the ride.

It was when she opened her cart to offer the same to Julie that she found her limp around the sleeping bag, drenched in sweat and whimpering. The bottom fell out of Yunyun's stomach as she looked at the little girl, the symptoms she was showing matched a thousand other illnesses. Covering everything from food poisoning to pneumonia.

But to her, they matched with something she was intimately more familiar with. Ua. She wasn't screaming but… no, that would still be hours off if she was infected. Swallowing, Yunyun practically crawled into the small cart with Julie as she turned the feverish girl on her back and frantically looked her over again. There hadn't been anything, she'd cleaned all the blood off… the shirt, looking closer she saw the dark spots on the dirty ratty fabric. If any of them had soaked through and gotten to an open wound...

Swallowing Yunyun pushed up the ratty shirt all little to find Julie's stomach covered in shallow scratches and cuts. Not quite fresh, but a few hours ago, when she'd been running from the thugs… maybe. Pushing her shirt up a little more she looked for any sign that blood splatter may have soaked through or- Her shirt was just past her lower ribs when she saw the ragged gouge set against bruised skin, where she'd been hit by the bike tire.

The gunshots, the graze and the through and through!

Scrambling for her rucksack Yunyun practically tore into the worn leather bag for her medication and grabbing a bottle of water she shook out several of the large pills. The antigen in the medication was designed fro _her_ , they and the other components of the medication were meant for _her_ specific mutations… But it was the best she could do and had to be better than nothing.

Carefully, over a the next few minutes, Yunyun coaxed Julie into sipping down a large bottle of water and four of her pills. The best she could do by herself. So locking everything back up as fast as she could she set out again, this time pedaling as fast as she could.

She was on a deadline now with hours at the most, maybe more if her meds worked but she wouldn't count on that. She needed to get to Boston and try and get ahold of that pothead. If she couldn't… well she really rather didn't want to think about that.

|-/-\\-|

Its nice, putting up something new after a while and getting something done that has been in the in-progress bin for way too long. Anyway, this is the first prologue of something I've been tinkering with for the past little while that will hopefully scratch an itch. Taylor Hebert: Pokemon Master went into a coma but the world building aspect of it has been nagging at me for the past while and spawned the idea for this while I was trawling the Nasu wiki after catching up on From Fake Dreams(by Third Fang)(really can't recommend it more, especially with one of the recent chapters that has pretty much has one of the best representations of Gilgamesh that I've seen or read outside of the original canon) and watching Cannan which is one of the main sources of inspiration of this and where Yunyun comes from. Its… different from the regular Nasu stuff.

Thus far things are still in the planning stages beyond the pilots(of which there are four) and the I need to think up an some more plot details in the broad strokes but… hopefully it will come out good, and if anything it will be different from the semi standard Taylor+Shiro/Rin+Magic formula.

Next part of the prologue will be in its own thread with, Pilot 02: The Philosophers Contract

Edit: Grumble grumble. On final read through and in retrospect I'm not too happy with the second half but I need to get back to finals and papers so I'll have to come back to it. If anyone is interested though...

Edit: and oh dear god this came out to 7900 word count... 


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